tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68450058829008672582015-01-19T07:59:50.123-07:00SLC Samuraia training and adventure journalJaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.comBlogger339125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-23623589510911939252014-06-23T23:05:00.000-06:002014-06-23T23:05:53.777-06:00Backcountry Bike Tour: SLC to Lake Powell and BackBrother Aaron and I left Salt Lake on our bikes on June 5 and returned to Salt Lake late June 14, 2014. &nbsp;Between that time we rode about 80 hours, 875 miles and 60,000 vertical feet through Utah's desert and mountains. &nbsp;It was exactly the adventure I was hoping for. <br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Day 1</b>: We left SLC, climbed up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Guardsman Pass, descended to Midway and Heber, and then climbed up into the Uinta National Forest. &nbsp;We were surprised and slightly disappointed to log only 62 miles for the day. &nbsp;But climbing 10,500 feet with 50 pound bikes is a worthy challenge. &nbsp;As the sun set, we were happy to find a campsite in an idyllic setting.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14276939888" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0766.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0766.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3908/14276939888_895f167fcb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere between Heber and Wolf Creek Pass with High Uintas in view. &nbsp;Day 1.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14463529455" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0768.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0768.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14463529455_4e6a51289c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp 1 in the Uinta National Forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Day 2</b>: We awoke early, anxious to get to Wolf Creek Pass. &nbsp;On Duchesne Ridge, we were met with snow. &nbsp;Much of the time, we were able to ride our rigs across the frozen snow. &nbsp;Sometimes though we were met with muck and slush. &nbsp;We connected to pavement at Wolf Creek Pass and descended through Hanna and Tabiona, and then rode to Duchesne. &nbsp;From Duchesne, our GPS route led us into an alfalfa field. &nbsp;After we got that straightened out, we pushed out of Myton into a brutal headwind, riding through the Uinta Basin and the thumping of oil/gas wells. &nbsp;A few minutes before all the light of the day was gone, we turned off the road and set up camp. &nbsp;On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being "I wish I had a flame thrower," swarming gnats were a solid 9. &nbsp;We threw up our tents and dived inside for cover. &nbsp;101 miles, 4044 vertical, and 14 hour day.<br /><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14483693803" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0774.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0774.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3918/14483693803_6bea4ac9f4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron fighting his bike and the "Pig" (his drybag strapped onto his rack) on Duchesne Ridge</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14463541615" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0781.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0781.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/14463541615_fe73457c7f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oil Wells in the Uinta Basin</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 3:</b>&nbsp; The gnats nibbled at us throughout the day. &nbsp;We climbed Gate Canyon and entered Nine Mile Canyon. &nbsp;We were short on water and happy to reach Nine Mile Ranch where we filled our bottles, dunked our heads, and hand-washed our jerseys. &nbsp;"Water's free," the campground host said, but we handed him $4. Soon we had climbed out of Nine Mile Canyon and had a downhill and relatively fast 15 mile cruise into Wellington where we rode the highway (including a 1 mile stretch of I-70) to Green River. &nbsp;The tailwind from Wellington to I-70 junction was killer. &nbsp;112 miles, 4123 vertical gain, 13 hrs.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14466495154" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN0646.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN0646.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5077/14466495154_b195402255_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nine Mile Canyon was dotted with mostly-abandoned ranches.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14281206447" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN0649.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN0649.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3881/14281206447_7d9f6f6494_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found an orange safety vest on the side of the road near Duchesne. &nbsp;I was glad to have found it and wore it religiously when our route went on the pavement. &nbsp;About to merge onto I-70.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14281207537" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN0650.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN0650.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2919/14281207537_42d6b144d7_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3: We pitched our tents in the cracked desert outside of Green River. &nbsp;We awoke to threatening clouds and barely got our gear packed before a short but strong dust storm.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 4</b>: &nbsp;We arrived in Moab via mostly backroads before lunch. &nbsp;I was feeling pretty thrashed. &nbsp;Eating at a chinese buffet, showering and laundering my one set of riding clothing (while showering) in the Moab rec center, and then taking a nap helped. &nbsp;We ate an early dinner and then pedaled west toward Hurrah Pass. &nbsp;We climbed Hurrah Pass as the sun was setting and descended toward the Colorado River to find a place to camp. &nbsp;70 miles, 3780 vertical gain.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14488206203" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="slctpe by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="slctpe" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5500/14488206203_d854b2d1ea_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good morning Green River!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14460198221" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0795.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0795.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/14460198221_1f03e0e419_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If we are riding on rubber under power lines during an electrical storm . . . ? &nbsp;Outside of Moab.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14460199561" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0797.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0797.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5530/14460199561_30ec190fa8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kane Creek road leading to Hurrah Pass.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 5: &nbsp;</b>We rode the Lockhart Basin road. &nbsp;I'd been on the lower portion several times, but the upper portion was surprising in that it was rougher, harder to follow, more ups and downs, and more technical. &nbsp;We spent 1.5 hrs being lost after trying to follow our GPS route. &nbsp;Mapping software is not always up to date. &nbsp;Don't trust it. &nbsp;Getting back on route required some serious bike packing up what was essentially a small cliff. &nbsp;After we got on track, we were able to steadily tick miles off. &nbsp;It got hot and we slowly drained our water stores. &nbsp;I knocked my Jetboil over and spilled boiling water on my thigh. &nbsp;At the end of the Lockhart road, we put up tents in the shade of Hamburger Rock and took a much needed siesta. &nbsp;We rode to Indian Creek (Gnats were a 9.5) and a researcher/rancher was kind enough to let us fill our water bottles at her ranch. &nbsp;58 miles, 5305 vertical gain. &nbsp;Hard and hot day.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14440469816" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0811.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0811.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2937/14440469816_11b169d30e_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning light on Lockhart Basin road. We got an early start, hoping to avoid the heat of the day.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14440473856" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0813.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0813.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14440473856_1c4bb8d7df_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At one point, the road almost touches the Colorado River.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14276995178" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0814.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0814.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2939/14276995178_51a77b6b15_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GPS said we were on track, ATVs had followed this track, but it didn't seem like the right track. &nbsp;Aaron pushing through sand.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14463586075" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0817.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0817.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/14463586075_9bc819b38d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things got ugly.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14464302441" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN0664.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN0664.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5491/14464302441_b6be5f7680_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then dire. &nbsp;I'm a cyclist, not a power lifter, or a cross-fitter.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14276979160" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0820.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0820.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3906/14276979160_76552de126_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indian Creek&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 6</b>: Our campsite last night was one of the better ones, surrounded by high red cliffs and under a large juniper tree. &nbsp;I used precious water to take a towel bath last night, but since we are heading into the mountains, I am confident water will be available. &nbsp;We start down the Beef Basin road, and then turn towards Cottonwood Creek and find a NFS road that will take us to Elk Ridge over the south Manti-Lasal Mountains. &nbsp;We pass up a good water source at the base of the climb, but after we top out are worried that we won't find water. &nbsp;Should we just go to Blanding? &nbsp;On the plateau however, we find a small spring. &nbsp;On the descent, I crash quite heavily and skin up my left arm and side, particularly my leg. &nbsp;Aaron drips precious water over my wounds with his leaky bottle, which had fallen off his bike and been punctured. &nbsp;I put bandages where skin had been scraped off and we continue through the Ute reservation. &nbsp;Eventually, after a somewhat circuitous route and deciding that our depleted water stores and dwindling light require us to stop puttering around on dirt roads, we exit onto a paved highway 15 miles outside Blanding. &nbsp;Thinking Lake Powell is only 45 miles away, we turn away from Blanding, hoping to make it to Lake Powell on our last water stores. &nbsp;Before it gets dark, we eat a meal. &nbsp;Without enough water to camp, we pedal through the dark. &nbsp;After riding 20 miles, Lake Powell is more than 45 miles away. &nbsp;We see that Natural Bridges National Monument, and more importantly a visitor center with running water, is a 4 mile detour. &nbsp;We veer off the road into the sage brush, put up our tents, and try to sleep. &nbsp;Earlier that day, a mini-tornado blew over me, caking my sweaty self with a layer of grit and sand. &nbsp;Sleeping dirty is uncomfortable. Counting on getting water at the visitors center, I drain my bottle. &nbsp;78.5 miles, 7,954 vertical gain, and 14:15 hrs.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14281036549" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN0670.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN0670.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/14281036549_60750c34fd_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, riding over the top of the Manti Lasal range, onto the Elk Ridge Road.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14466902864" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="slctpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="slctpg" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5482/14466902864_3e76f976ae_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This road cuts through a massive formation between Blanding and Hanksville.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14462485214" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0834.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0834.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3864/14462485214_21bb007439_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's been a long day. &nbsp;More pedaling to come though.</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;<b>Day 7</b>: &nbsp;We find water at the visitor center. &nbsp;I'm able to take a towel bath in the bathroom. &nbsp;After a couple days in the desert, running water is a luxury. &nbsp;We ride another 15 miles, and finally, Lake Powell is 45 miles away. &nbsp;Food-wise, I have a handful of beef jerky, 2 Gus, 4 Hi-Chews, and a drink mix left. &nbsp;I roll in to Halls Crossing, Lake Powell with a drink mix. &nbsp;We get a ride across the bay to Bullfrog, take a shower, stock up on some convenience store food, and eat at a restaurant. &nbsp;Riding through the desert between Moab and Lake Powell I had fantasies of diving into the lake. &nbsp;But once we got there, the winds were high and the water was brown. &nbsp;Still, it was nice to get there. &nbsp;That evening, we started up the Burr Trail. 69.6 miles, 2,548 vertical feet gained, 12:30 hrs.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14277154537" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0836.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0836.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3887/14277154537_2e050cefbe_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a destination was motivating and, at times, daunting. &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14440507846" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0839.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0839.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5033/14440507846_4dfd47eb9d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron pedaling out of Bullfrog Bay.</td></tr></tbody></table><b> Day 8: &nbsp;</b>We rode the Burr Trail to Boulder. &nbsp;Due to a throbbing Achilles, I pedal long stretches barefoot. On the Burr Trail, we are given water by a French family who is driving around the world. &nbsp;We fuel up in Boulder and under a full moon climb the Boulder Mountain to the top of the Aquarius Plateau. &nbsp;79.1 miles, 9,742 ft gained, and 12:30 hrs.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14440511986" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0849.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0849.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3917/14440511986_e40227c878_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The heel on my Pearl Izumi shoe rode too high and irritated my Achilles. &nbsp;After a couple days of pedaling without a sock (to make more room in my shoe) and at times on top of my shoe, I cut out the heel part of my shoe, which helped. &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14440514486" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0852.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0852.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5514/14440514486_210d14d6d2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waterpocket fold in Capitol Reef National Park.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14440519736" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0855.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0855.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2914/14440519736_73e74b96ec_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron climbing up the Burr Trail switchbacks.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14277169977" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0856.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0856.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/14277169977_4d393c9c4a_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This nice French lady asked if I needed water. &nbsp;Never turn down water in the desert.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14462509784" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0860.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0860.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2897/14462509784_672bde4a96_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a cool expedition vehicle -- a customized MAN (the brand). &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14462514534" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0868.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0868.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2899/14462514534_487afefcd9_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaron and I took a much needed rest in the shade of towering cliffs and cottonwoods. &nbsp;Here, we shared a kipper snack. &nbsp;I drank some of the oil in the can. &nbsp;Kippers felt nourishing and didn't taste all that bad.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14462518124" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0871.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0871.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5078/14462518124_4462733124_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stocking up at a the "Country Store" in Boulder, Utah.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14277028490" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0873.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0873.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5274/14277028490_3e01e41a58_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the summit of the Aquarius Plateau at about 10:30 at night. &nbsp;Riding at night under a full moon was energizing.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 9</b>: It was now Friday. &nbsp;We were on the Boulder Mountain. &nbsp;I wanted to avoid being absent from home on Sunday, Father's Day. &nbsp;There was still snow on the Skyline Drive. &nbsp;Our bodies were tired, scraped, and bitten. &nbsp;We needed at least 3-4 days to connect the Skyline Drive with the Wasatch mountains. &nbsp;Aaron and I elected to forego our route through the mountains and to make a 105 mile push on the pavement to Gunnison, where we grew up and where our parents have a home. &nbsp;We are battered by a brutal headwind for the first 60 miles. &nbsp;At about 5:00 pm, the winds favor us, and we ride the last 45 miles in under two hours. &nbsp;We make a steak dinner and are happy to sleep in real beds. &nbsp;105 miles, 6,400 vertical gain.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14440539736" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0876.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0876.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14440539736_aeea09bbe0_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of the Boulder Mountain, looking down towards the Burr Trail, the Henry Mountains, and Lake Powell. &nbsp;Riding through the Henry Mountains sounds interesting.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Day 10</b>: Our final day, we hope. &nbsp;A 135 mile push from Gunnison, Utah to Salt Lake. &nbsp;Again, on pavement. All day, it feels unusually cool. &nbsp;Is it unusually cool or have we acclimated to the desert heat? &nbsp;Massive, diminishing, brutal headwinds, again. &nbsp;Access to running water and convenience stores is nice. &nbsp;I stop for a Coke in Levan. &nbsp;I stop for a Coke in Nephi. &nbsp;I stop for a Coke in Payson. &nbsp;I stop for a Coke in Provo. &nbsp;It's 10:00 pm now and finally, in the shelter of the city, the headwinds have dissipated. &nbsp;Aaron and I crank our bikes down 1300 East at 20 miles per hour. &nbsp;Soon, I am home. &nbsp;135 miles, &nbsp;1,200 vertical gain.Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-52330439850339440952014-06-04T16:51:00.000-06:002014-06-04T16:51:29.301-06:00My Foray into Bikepacking -- SLC > Moab > Lake Powell > Torrey > SLCI've always thought it would be cool to ride a bike to Lake Powell via mostly dirt roads. &nbsp;I've talked about it, thought about it, but never have done it. &nbsp;So, when my brother Aaron indicated an interest in bikepacking, I knew my chance had come.<br /><br />I bought a bike. &nbsp;It is steel and not very light, which is good because it needs to carry me, gear, and food for a lot of miles over some pretty rough terrain.<br /><br /><img alt="Displaying photo.JPG" height="476" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&amp;ik=0eaf22fdcc&amp;view=fimg&amp;th=14669054d4dc7791&amp;attid=0.1&amp;disp=inline&amp;safe=1&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ-TGGRYqesNfcKYOLsGsoredFjjTnq6gRgqoXYE5mN_672FHy7YX7tmqdoLz5c5SC4Q6GDrSTVlmvjyW9BLPDyVm6ABg3wRq_k0bKrMxEtX5S6fps6HShaFTt0&amp;ats=1401921307382&amp;rm=14669054d4dc7791&amp;zw&amp;sz=w1568-h842" width="640" /><br /><br />The bike is a Salsa Fargo, a mountain bike with drop bars, which is perfect for riding on rough dirt roads. &nbsp;There is a difference between a mountain bike with drop bars and a cross bike. &nbsp;A cross bike isn't as capable or comfortable or as heavy.<br /><br />Tomorrow, brother Aaron and I are going to start from my driveway, ride up Big Cottonwood, to Tabiona, Nine Mile Canyon, Price, some desert roads to Moab, Lockhart Basin, Beef Basin, over the Abajo mountains, to Bullfrog Lake Powell. &nbsp;Since the ferry crashed and is closed, we hope to hitch/buy a ride to the other side. &nbsp;Then we will proceed up the Burr Trail, to Boulder, to Torrey, to Fishlake, Johnson Reservoir, catch the Skyline drive at I-70 and ride it to Highway 6, cross over and ride to Strawberry Reservoir, through Heber, and back to SLC.<br /><br />It will be a long journey. &nbsp;It will be a hard journey -- approximately 900 miles and 80,000 vertical feet. &nbsp;There is a pretty good chance we will not make it or complete it in the time we have (10 days). &nbsp;But we are going to try and we know we will have an adventure.<br /><br />Here is a rough map of our proposed route:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ara07xyKjrY/U4-hhOZIm2I/AAAAAAAAZIE/BD6eEN8iDcQ/s1600/Route+Pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ara07xyKjrY/U4-hhOZIm2I/AAAAAAAAZIE/BD6eEN8iDcQ/s1600/Route+Pic.JPG" height="640" width="512" /></a></div><br />Initially, I wanted to ride through the Ouray Ute Indian Reservation to Moab, but it's against the law, and I was told I'd get in big trouble. &nbsp;So, there is a large chunk between Price and Moab that will be on pavement. &nbsp;There is also a chunk of pavement from the Abajos to Lake Powell. &nbsp;And of course from SLC to Tabiona. Other than that, most will be on backcountry dirt roads. <br /><br />Since we will be mostly in the backcountry, we have to be relatively self-sustained. &nbsp;It's been a challenge figuring out how to carry all the gear we need plus 4 days worth of food. &nbsp;But, it's come together, and now all we have to do is pedal.<br /><br />Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-45635726824780224332014-06-03T16:38:00.001-06:002014-06-24T16:55:18.337-06:00Family Adventuring in Southern UtahSome family adventuring shots.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14154089289" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSC06608.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC06608.jpg" height="427" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3924/14154089289_a438685b35_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiro, chucking rocks into Death Hollow.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14154097318" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0701.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0701.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2916/14154097318_8f5e966964_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnarled tree overlooking Zion.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14337424921" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0730.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0730.jpg" height="640" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5032/14337424921_744b4aba42_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took a group of kids to hike the West Rim of Zion, about 14 miles.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/81842011@N04/14337426271" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0742.jpg by slcsamurai, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0742.jpg" height="480" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3859/14337426271_2810fc2264_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan and Miya hiking the West Rim with Angels Landing in sight.</td></tr></tbody></table>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-82571588740668788002014-03-11T15:57:00.000-06:002014-03-11T15:57:33.097-06:00How Rando Racing Boots Have Shaped Mainstream Alpine Touring BootsWhen it comes to ski boots, I feel like I have experienced a lot. My history is as follows:<br /><br />1. leather xc 3 pin boots;<br />2. Merrell Fusion telemark boots -- these boots were leather fused to a plastic toe and heel;<br />3. full plastic Garmont telemark boots;<br />4. Scarpa T1 telemark boots;<br />5. Scarpa Laser AT boots;<br />6. Scarpa F1 AT boots (3-4 pair);<br />7. Scarpa Matrix AT boots;<br />8. Dynafit TLT Race boots (old school version with velcro upper fastener);<br />9. Dynafit Zzero Green Machine AT boots;<br />10. Dynafit DyNA Race boots;<br />11. Scarpa Alien Race boots;<br />12. La Sportiva Spitfire AT boots;<br />13. Pierre Gignoux 444 Race boots;<br />14. Pierre Gignoux Morpho Race boots;<br />15. La Sportiva Spectre AT boots.<br /><br /><div><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-240BIaFXqGA/SzLgksKSQrI/AAAAAAAARFc/FDpbHpQeSOw/s640/IMG_0524.JPG" width="640" /></div><br />&nbsp;As I write out this list, I wonder if I've missed any. Maybe I have, but these are the ones that stick out. I'm uncertain as to whether to be proud or embarrassed about this list. It definitely is not an illustration of fiscal responsibility or sustainability. One day, I might have to explain to my son that I spent his college tuition on ski boots. On the other hand, I can say that I have gone to school of ski touring boots. As a result of the "list," I have a keen sense of the good, bad, and the ugly.<br /><br />&nbsp;Way back when when things were simple, which was really only a decade ago, boots were boots. Boots attached to skis and I put my feet into them to go ski. Those were happy times. But they were also slow and unsteady times. No free pivot. And to get down the hill, you needed to drop a soulful knee.<br /><br />Scarpa's F1 was revolutionary. I remember the hype before it came out. I remember scouring telemarktips.com for info and beta on what was then considered to be more of a concept boot. I remember AT Apostle bragging that he was posting on ttips while wearing a pair of F1s. F1s were rad. They were lime green. At the first ever Powder Keg, I remember seeing them for the first time. They were unlike anything available at the time. They walked well, even better than telemark boots. They were relatively light -- much light than a Scarpa T1. And they skied down with a fixed heel. The Euros went crazy with them, drilling them out to make them lighter and a cottage industry (in a literal sense) specializing in F1 boot mods was formed.&nbsp; <br /><br /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HqyT_lSF144/R6PJKOlbqCI/AAAAAAAACPo/cswqwd8RRc0/s640/DSC_0008.JPG" height="640" width="425" /><br /><br />As I write this off-the-cuff rendition of AT boot history, it occurs to me that Dynafit may have lead the charge into the world of light, walkable, skiable boots. I'm pretty sure Dynafit's Mountain Lite/TLT line came before Scarpa's F1. In any event, early on, it's certain that Scarpa's F1 was much more ubiquitous. Dynafit's time would come though.<br /><br /><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HqyT_lSF144/ScRalDMyUlI/AAAAAAAAIas/1r2IEKbzajs/s400/DSCN5112.JPG" /><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HqyT_lSF144/ScRal67yDeI/AAAAAAAAIa8/iGptKdCxq4E/s400/DSCN5116.JPG" /><br /><br />As racers whittled, drilled, and modified the Scarpa F1 to suit their needs, others came up with other alternatives. Benedikt Bohm took a Dynafit TLT boot lower, and then fitted it with a carbon upper and a throw reminiscent of a Scarpa F1 throw. I think he might have skied off a 8,000 meter peak on that boot. And then guys like Pierre Gignoux started building all-carbon boots in his garage. Pierre was a top racer (once holding the record for the fastest ski ascent and descent of Mont Blanc) looking for a top solution. He built a boot, loosely modeled after the F1's rear one-step lock down rear throw. This boot was much much lighter than its pebax cousins.<br /><br />Taking a step back, I think that for several years, the backcountry community viewed the F1 and its iterations, and perhaps those who used them, as outliers. These were not boots to seriously consider for serious touring or mountaineering. While more legitimate than a gimmick, they weren't a "real" AT boot. In a sense, this sentiment was correct. The F1 had a pretty awkward fastening system. The heel throw was bulky and got in the way. The duck-billed, bellowed toe was not ideal for rock climbing and mountaineering. Later F1 versions addressed these issues with slimmer and ergonomic heel throws. The duckiness of the bill was likewise eliminated.<br /><br /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HqyT_lSF144/R8JOIhFrLhI/AAAAAAAACmI/dPRVZuubm-Y/s320/February+22,+2008+040.jpg" /><br /><br />This is not to say that people, like myself, did not resort solely to the F1 as a backcountry boot. The truth is, after experiencing the walkability and efficiency of a F1, how could we happily ski anything else? I tried to ski the Scarpa Matrix and the ZZero Green Machine, but was frustrated with their inefficiency on the uptrack. Skiing those boots was like putting my ankles in casts.<br /><br />Then Dynafit came out with the DyNA Race boot. While racing in Europe, I bought a pair. These boots were substantially lighter than the F1. I think of these boots as a refined version of Benedikt Bohm's modified TLTs. I speculate that because Scarpa protected rights to its heel throw, Dynafit did/could not incorporate that in its mass production boot. Dynafit came out with the side-throw. Like Bohm's custom boots, the upper cuff was carbon fiber. Like the F1, transitioning from walk to ski mode was a one-step process. &nbsp;The DyNAs were superior to the F1s in weight, walkability, and skiability. &nbsp;I quickly adopted the DyNA as my do everything boot. &nbsp;My speed ascent/descent of the Grand Teton was in DyNAs.<br /><br /><img alt="Displaying IMG-20110605-00014.jpg" height="480" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&amp;ik=0eaf22fdcc&amp;view=fimg&amp;th=13061058f3c8f839&amp;attid=0.1&amp;disp=inline&amp;safe=1&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ8vwZCT7EaV4L80uDWf6xhSlquMwkekp5M3HQlU-nOJGMIqF4mf3D62-xpg0nSS15LBL62osC8aZs-HOOAFLjKci6kA12f4vjZDmQ&amp;ats=1394053408800&amp;rm=13061058f3c8f839&amp;zw&amp;sz=w1808-h832" width="640" /><br /><br />The DyNa Race boot certainly had an impact in the race world. It was one of the first mainstream boots to compete with the F1 (in contrast to garage-made boots). But I think the true significance of the DyNa is that it gave birth to Dynafit's wildly successful TLT 5 boot. I view the TLT 5 as the boot that bridged the fringe group of racers with the core backcountry community. &nbsp;The TLT 5 was a real and acceptable boot for racers, backcountry tourers, and ski mountaineers alike.<br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_HqyT_lSF144/S8TSGYDxarI/AAAAAAAATvQ/YGOWV-XbbbY/s640/IMG_1825.JPG" height="480" width="640" /><br /><br />The thing about all race-bred boots from the F1 forward is that they all had a highly articulable cuff. &nbsp;Yes, weight was reduced. &nbsp;Yes, the fastening system was a one-step process. &nbsp;But the most important characteristic of these boots in my mind is the walkability of these boots. &nbsp;Rather than being alpine-boots-made-to-walk, these were first and foremost walking-boots-made-to-ski. &nbsp;And this makes a lot of sense. &nbsp;For any backcountry skier or ski mountaineer, the majority -- I would say 90 percent -- of time "skiing" is spent walking. &nbsp;If I were forced to choose between weight and walkability, I would choose walkability. &nbsp;Because walking with two chunky casts on my ankles is simply not fun.<br /><br />Nowadays in the Wasatch, it is not uncommon to see a TLT 5 or a TLT 6. &nbsp;Four years ago, I'm pretty sure I knew everyone on who owned a pair. &nbsp;My choice is La Sportiva's Spitfire, a true backcountry and mountaineering boot that I chose to employ in my ski ascent and descent of Denali. &nbsp;Still, for every skier in TLTs, Spitfires, or F1s, I see several skiers in big-not-very-walkable AT boots. &nbsp;And by that I mean everything from Scarpa's Maestrale to Dynafit's ZZero/Titan to Black Diamond's Prime/Quadrants. &nbsp;I'm not saying these boots are bad boots. &nbsp;I'm sure they ski very nicely. &nbsp;But for me, if I'm spending most of my day walking, I also want a boot to do that nicely too. &nbsp;And while I am admittedly odd, I don't think that is an odd preference. <br /><br /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-noQ4K4F4gj4/UCLXbzHk_0I/AAAAAAAAYdY/Yt-ByMe2h6o/s640/Denali+Summit-3.jpg" /><br /><br />So why do people persist in skiing in not-very-walkable boots? &nbsp;I'm sure many eventually change when they upgrade their setup. &nbsp;Not everyone buys one or two pair of boots a year. &nbsp;But I think the real reason is that the largest backcountry segment is willing to compromise walkability for skiability. &nbsp;Case in point: just last week I skinned past a guy in Lange alpine boots, Marker bindings, and alpine skis. &nbsp;I'm sure his setup weighed 4 times what mine weighed. &nbsp;4 hours later, I saw this same guy. &nbsp;He had just skied the South Face of Superior solo on a considerable avalanche day. &nbsp;This was a hard core dude. &nbsp;And he was willing to haul around 14 pounds per foot because he wanted performance on the down. &nbsp;To each his own. &nbsp;I respect that.<br /><br />But, what if you could have walkability and skiability? &nbsp;It's not far off. &nbsp;When it comes to boots, this <i>is </i>the future of the ski industry's only growing segment. &nbsp;It's not reasonable to think that everyone will become racers and buy into the pure race mentality. &nbsp;But it is reasonable to think that if given a choice between a boot that skis well and walks well and a boot that skis well and doesn't walk well, skiers will choose the former. &nbsp;Every time. <br /><br />I said the time is not far off when mainstream ski tourers (as opposed to extreme racer fanatics) can have a boot that really skis and really walks. &nbsp;That was not completely true, because there is one such boot out there: Sportiva's Spectre. &nbsp;It's a four buckle boot that is as supportive as most alpine boots. &nbsp;And it walks like a TLT 5/Spitfire.<br /><br />The history of AT boots is rather short. &nbsp;It's been interesting and admittedly satisfying to see the radical rando racing segment of the sport inform and arguably transform the accepted norms of backcountry skiing. &nbsp;It's been interesting to see various companies innovate and compete. &nbsp;In particular, it's interesting that while Scarpa got the ball rolling with its F1, Dynafit advanced the baton substantially with its TLT 5. &nbsp;Scarpa really had no answer for a couple years although its new and improved F1 is exciting. &nbsp;Sportiva answered Dyanfit's TLT 5 and the demand for a ski boot with racing roots with its Spitfire. &nbsp;Its soon-to-come Cyborg will provide even yet another alternative.<br /><br />The trickle down (or is it up?) effect of rando racing boots has not ended. &nbsp;Sportiva is successfully implementing the best characteristics of the race-bred boots into bigger boots like the Spectre -- a walkable, skiable, and amazingly light four buckle boot. &nbsp;No one so far as I know has an answer to that. &nbsp;Yet.<br /><br /><br />Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-70143431577818855052014-01-06T12:11:00.003-07:002014-01-06T12:11:50.046-07:00Binding Remount/Redrill: How Close is Too Close?<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QN7dM4VV3QM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-63598383072693743782013-11-12T16:02:00.000-07:002013-11-12T16:02:06.795-07:00A Fishing Story To Remember<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CHOZQWPhzgw/UoKyTcN5uII/AAAAAAAAZCI/Bl-XBdBnv4M/s1600/10784543335_0a1d39594c_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CHOZQWPhzgw/UoKyTcN5uII/AAAAAAAAZCI/Bl-XBdBnv4M/s640/10784543335_0a1d39594c_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>On Saturday, my family hopped in my drift boat for a fall fishing session on Strawberry Reservoir. &nbsp;We wind drifted and trolled flies on a fly rod and two spin rods. &nbsp;Immediately, we had success, and we were happy. &nbsp;My 5 year old was using my fly rod. &nbsp;After catching 4 or so nice big cutts, he lost a bit of focus. &nbsp;Before we knew it, he had a fish on, and the fly rod went rocketing out of the boat. &nbsp;I watched as the rod, reel, and orange backing zoomed away through the water. &nbsp;It was a helpless feeling. &nbsp;I liked that rod and it had served me well the last 12 years. &nbsp;I thought it was gone. &nbsp;My little boy felt bad, and I scolded him and told him it was ok at the same time. &nbsp;But again, in my mind, I was feeling the loss.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y_eqpcYpJ00/UoKypJSc2rI/AAAAAAAAZCw/5RzIBqYOZzU/s1600/10784619955_c4efafcc0f_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y_eqpcYpJ00/UoKypJSc2rI/AAAAAAAAZCw/5RzIBqYOZzU/s640/10784619955_c4efafcc0f_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the little guy before the rod rocketed out of his hands.</td></tr></tbody></table>Almost as soon as it happened, I cast out a spin rod. &nbsp;My daughter already had her rod out. &nbsp;I swung the boat around and moved over the water where we saw the rod zoom away. &nbsp;Nothing. &nbsp;Then, my daughter said she had a fish on. &nbsp;We stopped the boat and focused on her fish. &nbsp;And temporarily, we forgot about the lost rod. &nbsp;My daughter's fish took a couple dives, but she steadily brought it in. &nbsp;When she lifted her rod, we expected to see a fish on the other end, because there was a fish on the other end. &nbsp;But instead, there was just a dark, olive, green, sinking line -- MY FLY ROD'S LINE. &nbsp;</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lrin3mQIcBk/UoKyX9zX_XI/AAAAAAAAZCg/uDMtyR8cB6U/s1600/10784632355_25f5f5d9e0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lrin3mQIcBk/UoKyX9zX_XI/AAAAAAAAZCg/uDMtyR8cB6U/s640/10784632355_25f5f5d9e0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The line angling down and to the left is my daughter's. &nbsp;You can see the fly hooked to the fly rod line.</td></tr></tbody></table>The weight of the fish on one end of my fly rod line and the fly rod itself created enough tension to allow my daughter to pull in my fly line. &nbsp;I gingerly reached out and grabbed the line, handed the fish-end to my son who brought it in, while I hauled in my rod. &nbsp;I got it back!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6PHqK1UEYv8/UoKyXyB-EPI/AAAAAAAAZCc/qfwgSI9g6dY/s1600/10784612715_8c1180bd78_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6PHqK1UEYv8/UoKyXyB-EPI/AAAAAAAAZCc/qfwgSI9g6dY/s640/10784612715_8c1180bd78_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uFpGZoFVMPU/UoKyYHozVUI/AAAAAAAAZCo/eYveorDf2wo/s1600/10784667304_256669d7af_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uFpGZoFVMPU/UoKyYHozVUI/AAAAAAAAZCo/eYveorDf2wo/s640/10784667304_256669d7af_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qe3z0DDk60/UoKyYYlsZwI/AAAAAAAAZCs/tc0piZIrLHk/s1600/10784721734_ac569ff9a0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qe3z0DDk60/UoKyYYlsZwI/AAAAAAAAZCs/tc0piZIrLHk/s640/10784721734_ac569ff9a0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-25674632760450795902013-08-29T23:04:00.000-06:002013-08-29T23:04:00.543-06:00Molas Pass to Durango on the Colorado TrailA couple weeks ago, Bart and I rode the Colorado Trail from Molas Pass to Durango. &nbsp;Wow. &nbsp;It was definitely the coolest bike ride I've done. &nbsp;It was the full meal deal. &nbsp;Tight single track. Sprawling and amazing vistas. High elevation. &nbsp;Rain. &nbsp;Hail. &nbsp;Hike-a-bike. &nbsp;12,000 foot plus mountain passes. &nbsp;80 miles. &nbsp;13,000 feet of climbing. &nbsp;Over 18,000 feet of descent. And to make it epic-er, 25+ miles in the dark with a couple headlamps not meant for biking.<br /><br />Since I hadn't broken 80 miles on a bike this year, I approached the ride with a bit of trepidation. &nbsp;But it's something I've always wanted to do, I had a willing partner who is OK on a MTB, and we were in the area, . . . . wait, my bike had just been broken to bits by a Ford F250. &nbsp;Bart wouldn't let me back out, so he adjusted Rosie's (his wife) bike so that I could ride it. &nbsp;It turns out that a Scalpel 29er makes a Scalpel 26er feel like a crash machine. &nbsp;I'm pretty sure that had I been on my Scalpel 26er, I would have crashed 10x more than I actually did (I went over the bars once at about 11:30 pm).<br /><br />Because we had to break camp and get our families on their way to Durango, we didn't get an early start. &nbsp;6:30 would have been ideal. &nbsp;Instead it was more like 11ish. &nbsp;But we weren't too concerned. &nbsp;We conservatively projected an 8 to 10 hr finish. &nbsp;At about 8 to 10 hrs into the ride we still had at least 40 miles to go. &nbsp;We came to a point where we could bail, but we just rode past it. &nbsp;The trail was a lot more technical and challenging than I expected. &nbsp;And the darkness made it even tougher. &nbsp;Fortunately, the last 25 miles of the ride dropped 6000 feet. &nbsp;We finished in just under 14 hrs total. &nbsp;It was after midnight.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ZyYtRrLq7g/UiAg-GYcwkI/AAAAAAAAY9I/an65otnqN0g/s1600/IMG_0095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ZyYtRrLq7g/UiAg-GYcwkI/AAAAAAAAY9I/an65otnqN0g/s640/IMG_0095.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking toward the Needles and Chicago Basin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SsOzBlLv2lU/UiAhG3ny1XI/AAAAAAAAY9Y/engCRxjHRck/s1600/IMG_0098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SsOzBlLv2lU/UiAhG3ny1XI/AAAAAAAAY9Y/engCRxjHRck/s640/IMG_0098.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bart would stop, I would catch up. &nbsp;Then he would get ahead. &nbsp;Repeat. &nbsp;Repeat. &nbsp;Repeat.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DjdFsuHnbaM/UiAhHuKSRTI/AAAAAAAAY9Q/sHmrtAHjB2A/s1600/IMG_0101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DjdFsuHnbaM/UiAhHuKSRTI/AAAAAAAAY9Q/sHmrtAHjB2A/s640/IMG_0101.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 2500 feet of climbing . . .&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KunDzPX8CKs/UiAhRvo_-hI/AAAAAAAAY9g/FMmF9862Ggc/s1600/IMG_0105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KunDzPX8CKs/UiAhRvo_-hI/AAAAAAAAY9g/FMmF9862Ggc/s640/IMG_0105.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We topped out at some pass (forgot the name). &nbsp;It rained and hailed for a while, but not too bad.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LDULlkU7zdg/UiAhU_xXvnI/AAAAAAAAY9o/l44yI5AHS1Y/s1600/IMG_0106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LDULlkU7zdg/UiAhU_xXvnI/AAAAAAAAY9o/l44yI5AHS1Y/s640/IMG_0106.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bart was chomping at the bit to "shred" something. &nbsp;And he did. &nbsp;This was a long descent, which meant that we'd be climbing again soon.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qcVWx6JZjiI/UiAhkzVHzqI/AAAAAAAAY9w/AB-HOfTBppA/s1600/IMG_0107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qcVWx6JZjiI/UiAhkzVHzqI/AAAAAAAAY9w/AB-HOfTBppA/s640/IMG_0107.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing out of Cascade Canyon. &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a38jBOAFosQ/UiAhlTnW5XI/AAAAAAAAY90/maWu37KQvDc/s1600/IMG_0109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a38jBOAFosQ/UiAhlTnW5XI/AAAAAAAAY90/maWu37KQvDc/s640/IMG_0109.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lizard Head and Uncompahgre in the distance. &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-djIhkHEdV_c/UiAiAgaN9AI/AAAAAAAAY-Y/E4aU6wz-Y_c/s1600/IMG_0113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-djIhkHEdV_c/UiAiAgaN9AI/AAAAAAAAY-Y/E4aU6wz-Y_c/s640/IMG_0113.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topping out on another long climb. &nbsp;Forgot the name of this pass too.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcEcNSbQI8I/UiAiI8_KFaI/AAAAAAAAY-g/rfa_ZpVnOPg/s1600/IMG_0117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcEcNSbQI8I/UiAiI8_KFaI/AAAAAAAAY-g/rfa_ZpVnOPg/s640/IMG_0117.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See those mountains clear back there . . . yes, waaay back there. &nbsp;That's where we had ridden from.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WFXNT9ytG6Q/UiAiZ8l7ESI/AAAAAAAAY-4/RLvQoi-NN3U/s1600/IMG_0121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WFXNT9ytG6Q/UiAiZ8l7ESI/AAAAAAAAY-4/RLvQoi-NN3U/s640/IMG_0121.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending again.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6HWq0KLOvng/UiAirIM3ArI/AAAAAAAAY_A/-R8J_WiP3hk/s1600/IMG_0129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6HWq0KLOvng/UiAirIM3ArI/AAAAAAAAY_A/-R8J_WiP3hk/s640/IMG_0129.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The La Plata range in sight.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k2OKVQeeZFs/UiAi3RZ8WrI/AAAAAAAAY_I/a9HqBll_ufQ/s1600/IMG_0131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k2OKVQeeZFs/UiAi3RZ8WrI/AAAAAAAAY_I/a9HqBll_ufQ/s640/IMG_0131.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosie's bike on the Indian Ridge Trail.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJHn08EoYkw/UiAi5Ue2rSI/AAAAAAAAY_Y/VanMFqIU8aw/s1600/IMG_0133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vJHn08EoYkw/UiAi5Ue2rSI/AAAAAAAAY_Y/VanMFqIU8aw/s640/IMG_0133.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hike a bike section at 12,500 feet. &nbsp;approaching Kennebec Pass.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TfPOx8fTJdc/UiAi35eIyeI/AAAAAAAAY_M/yF3oC7WPjJ0/s1600/IMG_0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TfPOx8fTJdc/UiAi35eIyeI/AAAAAAAAY_M/yF3oC7WPjJ0/s640/IMG_0134.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then it got dark.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-58610019860595106292013-08-20T22:48:00.000-06:002013-08-20T22:48:03.813-06:00Family Adventuring in ColoradoOne thing I've enjoyed in the past is driving backcountry roads and exploring new trails. &nbsp;Before I had kids, I was a fly fishing guide in the Frank Church Wilderness in Idaho. &nbsp;I spent lots of days driving around the mountains between Cascade, McCall, and Stanley. &nbsp;It was fun. &nbsp;And someday soon, I'd like to do the same thing with my family.<div><br /></div><div>For the last few years, I've visited the San Juans each summer in Colorado. &nbsp;The roads down there are pretty rough and moving the family through those mountains wasn't really doable in our Honda Pilot. &nbsp;So, with an eye toward more backcountry adventures with the family, I recently bought a 2009 4Runner. &nbsp;I thought about a Sequoia and a Suburban might have crossed my mind, but for what I've wanted to do, those vehicles are too big. &nbsp;The problem with the 4Runner was that it didn't have a third row seat, and I need to seat 6 people. &nbsp;So, after a bit of research and trolling ebay, I found a jump seat, and after some drilling through the bottom of my 4Runner (and narrowly missing the gas tank), I bolted the jump seat in. &nbsp;Third row seat.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBB1wJPO8tI/UhQ4ee_hUwI/AAAAAAAAY6M/uuSfAcprAWw/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBB1wJPO8tI/UhQ4ee_hUwI/AAAAAAAAY6M/uuSfAcprAWw/s640/photo+(6).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The jump seat took a lot of space, so I modified my Thule T4 bike rack by removing two of the bike holders and bolting on an ATV cargo rack so that I could haul a cooler, an inflatable kayak, and camping gear. &nbsp;More drilling. &nbsp;With a Yakima roof box and my modified rack, I was able to carry camping gear and food for six people in a relatively off-road worthy vehicle. &nbsp;With those gear mods -- drilling into otherwise perfect pieces of equipment -- we set off for the San Juans.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you happened to notice the blog post below, you might surmise that our adventure through the San Juans was not without difficulty. &nbsp;I got a flat tire at 12,000 feet, and in my haste to change it (because it was raining and hailing and getting dark), I left my back hatch open. And I lost a handgun out the back hatch. &nbsp;And some shoes. &nbsp;Oops.</div><div><br /></div><div>But before that, because of the rough roads and the decreased departure angle of my T4 rack, which caused my special modified rack to drag on the road, my bike fell off. &nbsp;And then Bart ran over it with his F250 truck. &nbsp;He obviously needs to work on his off-roading skills.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WHSML9giTfg/UhQ7PMwp9cI/AAAAAAAAY6Y/BA5YBE9om0k/s1600/1097966_638288226191018_152826624_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WHSML9giTfg/UhQ7PMwp9cI/AAAAAAAAY6Y/BA5YBE9om0k/s640/1097966_638288226191018_152826624_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>But those slight trials aside, the trip up Corkscrew Gulch, over and down Red Mountain, up and over Hurricane Pass and Cinnamon Pass and then to Animas Forks was worth it. &nbsp;Such cool country!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CpKEZVrJ_U/UhQ_21SC2II/AAAAAAAAY6s/KADlaw5qE1s/s1600/DSC06088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CpKEZVrJ_U/UhQ_21SC2II/AAAAAAAAY6s/KADlaw5qE1s/s640/DSC06088.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bart, having a family conference about safety in the mountains.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qa4OiXjBGBQ/UhRApwyPx_I/AAAAAAAAY7E/TczfzT6ufGs/s1600/DSC06094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qa4OiXjBGBQ/UhRApwyPx_I/AAAAAAAAY7E/TczfzT6ufGs/s640/DSC06094.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">F250 climbing up Red Mountain.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uz5KjxAvJ6s/UhREQkiKbzI/AAAAAAAAY8w/sipAbeQz-2w/s1600/IMG_0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uz5KjxAvJ6s/UhREQkiKbzI/AAAAAAAAY8w/sipAbeQz-2w/s640/IMG_0034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Switchbacks for long wheel base required some spotting and maneuvering.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V-M1DLqAoZ0/UhRD4z0pqxI/AAAAAAAAY8Y/9hhvAhRrgQY/s1600/IMG_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V-M1DLqAoZ0/UhRD4z0pqxI/AAAAAAAAY8Y/9hhvAhRrgQY/s640/IMG_0005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out at 12k.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pEn2L8Yh3W8/UhRD2ywAeqI/AAAAAAAAY8Q/nfmkqCUdaCo/s1600/IMG_0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pEn2L8Yh3W8/UhRD2ywAeqI/AAAAAAAAY8Q/nfmkqCUdaCo/s640/IMG_0026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We drove down that road to find Hurricane Pass.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UYTQ49VRo3c/UhREJidvyAI/AAAAAAAAY8o/7jZWPsZRt4Y/s1600/IMG_0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UYTQ49VRo3c/UhREJidvyAI/AAAAAAAAY8o/7jZWPsZRt4Y/s640/IMG_0038.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had intermittent hail and rain, making things a bit tenuous, but nice and clean.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86JEDpZJcHg/UhRBM-SkZlI/AAAAAAAAY7U/mKs4oZGw_kU/s1600/IMG_0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86JEDpZJcHg/UhRBM-SkZlI/AAAAAAAAY7U/mKs4oZGw_kU/s640/IMG_0045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking off toward Ouray from Cinnamon Pass.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AldpHkEkVnQ/UhRBgKYCnjI/AAAAAAAAY7c/iLqR1xMmwx8/s1600/IMG_0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AldpHkEkVnQ/UhRBgKYCnjI/AAAAAAAAY7c/iLqR1xMmwx8/s640/IMG_0052.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The family.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8kaHIcTYGM/UhRBwNJf65I/AAAAAAAAY7s/wC8HnaOERQc/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8kaHIcTYGM/UhRBwNJf65I/AAAAAAAAY7s/wC8HnaOERQc/s640/IMG_0066.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool mushrooms. &nbsp;Trippy?</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xj0WoKyGP0Y/UhRBnqMXrMI/AAAAAAAAY7k/886J_VLUR9M/s1600/DSC06176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xj0WoKyGP0Y/UhRBnqMXrMI/AAAAAAAAY7k/886J_VLUR9M/s640/DSC06176.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few days later connecting to Durango via Ophir Pass.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br /></div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-54775792680560301682013-08-19T21:49:00.001-06:002013-08-19T21:49:29.791-06:00Lost Gun Between Cinnamon Pass and Animas Forks, Ouray, Silverton, ColoradoLost the week of August 12, 2013 on the road between Cinnamon Pass and Animas Forks. &nbsp;Let me know if you find it. &nbsp;Reward.<br /><br />(Thought I'd just put this out there.) Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-91637133637583224682013-05-08T15:18:00.003-06:002013-05-08T15:20:33.584-06:00The Grunge: Video by Jason DoraisJason and I skied the Grunge a couple weeks ago. &nbsp;He made a video, which was nice because I'm low on cameras right now (Canon S90 (fell in lake), Canon video camera (run over after I left it on wife's bumper), Sony Nex 7 (accidentally left camera bag open and flung it across garage; did not survive), GoPro Black Edition (junk, took it back).<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/65523665" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/65523665">The Grunge</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user12991889">Jason Dorais</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-17062950759834235012013-05-02T19:26:00.000-06:002013-05-02T19:29:35.687-06:00Spring run in the SLC Foothills<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u2MbTboQMZs/UYMTAHiaTLI/AAAAAAAAYxA/EjKmFudZ18k/s1600/photo-775688.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u2MbTboQMZs/UYMTAHiaTLI/AAAAAAAAYxA/EjKmFudZ18k/s400/photo-775688.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5873559231765564594" /></a></p>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-53767218687315834402013-04-07T21:27:00.002-06:002013-04-07T21:27:53.571-06:00The Avalanche's GiftOne year ago, I nearly died in an avalanche. &nbsp;Shortly after the incident, I wrote down some of my thoughts <a href="http://slc-samurai.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">here</a>. &nbsp;In the last year, I don't think that a day has gone by that I haven't thought about that incident. <br /><br />I distinctly remember my attitude the day I got swatted off the mountain. &nbsp;I was over confident. &nbsp;I was cocky. &nbsp; &nbsp;I was not afraid. &nbsp;Jason and I had just skied the north face of Mt. Superior. &nbsp;I had triggered and skied out of an avalanche, and I had laughed. &nbsp;No biggie. &nbsp;Just as I thought, just as I would have guessed, and not surprisingly, I triggered it, managed it, and skied out. &nbsp;I was, after all, a pro skier. &nbsp;There wasn't much that could stand in between me and what I wanted out of the mountain. . . . or so I thought.<br /><br />The day I stood on Superior and confidently arced turns on its south face might have been the highest point in my ski "career." &nbsp;That day, I was standing on what I considered to be a pile of accomplishments: a variety of ski traverses, ski linkups, decent results at some rando races, and a speed ascent (and record) on the Grand Teton. &nbsp;But as the avalanche swept me off the mountain and into a funnel lined with sharp and merciless rocks, I instantly realized that of the things that matter most in life, my skiing stunts were not among them. <br /><br />It's odd how time nearly stood still as I churned and &nbsp;pin-balled off the mountain. &nbsp;Although my fall likely was less than one minute, I had ample time to reflect on what was happening to me. &nbsp;I felt overwhelming anger and guilt, understanding that the next bashing might be my last. &nbsp;I was fully aware that if my life were to end in the next cartwheel, I would leave a family behind. &nbsp;My family. &nbsp;That's what made me angry and guilty. <br /><br />If I had to pinpoint one thing the avalanche taught me, it would be that I was a lucky guy. &nbsp;I realized that in the years I had been moving in the mountains, I hadn't conquered anything. &nbsp;I hadn't mastered much at all. &nbsp;Rather, I had gotten away with things. &nbsp;The mountains had given me gifts. &nbsp;I had just gotten lucky. &nbsp;Timp solo on an unstable day? &nbsp;Luck. &nbsp;Scaling the north face of Buck Mountain with one tool and no rope? &nbsp;Luck. &nbsp;Triggering avalanches and skiing out of them while skiing off Twin Peaks and Dromedary (in the same day)? &nbsp;Duh, dumb luck. <br /><br />This ski season has been a bit weird. &nbsp;For the first time in years, I haven't had a burning desire to stand on or ski something scary. &nbsp;I haven't had much of a desire to do much except for safe skinning and skiing. &nbsp;Standing at the top of a powdery, class-A couloir kind of scares me. &nbsp;I haven't summitted Mt. Superior since the avalanche. &nbsp;I now think that the ideal ski day is when the snow is frozen solid. &nbsp;Seriously, what is wrong with me?<br /><br />The fact that I have seemed to have lost whatever moxy I used to have has troubled me, slightly. &nbsp;But I've gotten over it. &nbsp;I suppose that my old self would say that the avalanche took something away from me. &nbsp;That it stole my fire. &nbsp;But now, I don't think of it that way. &nbsp;The avalanche gave me a gift. &nbsp;It supplanted overconfidence with fear. &nbsp;It didn't take away my desire to be in the mountains, but it gave me a healthy dose of respect. &nbsp;It showed me what might have been without completely divesting me of what I had. &nbsp;And that too was a gift. <br /><br /><br />Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-12410252761011319542013-03-25T07:49:00.000-06:002013-03-25T07:50:47.919-06:00Moguls on the Lawnmower<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48K09uSPcjo/UVBWOKOU2HI/AAAAAAAAYvk/Rf82tsCkoRY/s1600/photo-747919.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-48K09uSPcjo/UVBWOKOU2HI/AAAAAAAAYvk/Rf82tsCkoRY/s400/photo-747919.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5859277916471613554" /></a></p>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-83954865708288268922013-03-11T10:33:00.001-06:002013-03-11T10:33:11.462-06:002013 Powderkeg Individual RaceI was forced to be a spectator this year. &nbsp;And spectating is almost as fun as racing. &nbsp;I put a "fun" video together that includes lots of people, lots of layers, some skiing, some jeering, some cheering, and it will probably make you cross-eyed -- just like the Powderkeg.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7Kq2OJTV-UE?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-19786598648683525002013-02-22T12:05:00.000-07:002013-02-22T12:05:12.966-07:00Wasatch Citizen Skimo Series La Sportiva Ski Raffle -- WIN SOME SKIS!!On February 26, the Wasatch Skimo Citizen Series will have its 9th and final (official) race. &nbsp;Join us at 7:00 at Brighton Ski Resort. &nbsp;Afterwards, we will convene at Molly Greens to give out awards an to RAFFLE OFF A PAIR OF LA SPORTIVA SKIS.<br /><br />If you would like to participate in the raffle, you must be present. &nbsp;You also must fill out this form: <iframe frameborder="0" height="1219" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dF9IRWRIT0xzenl2SkdzSk8yYWQzdWc6MQ" width="760"></iframe>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-34291050495453202212013-02-12T20:25:00.003-07:002013-02-12T20:25:51.665-07:00For Sale: Really Light Rando Boots and Skis<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: verdana; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;">My friend Joey Dempster is selling his Pierre Gignoux XP444s, size 275.</span><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GC1jHuSWW0/URsHFf-4JeI/AAAAAAAAYu0/JQLzx5XeJng/s1600/2013-01-31+16.17.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2GC1jHuSWW0/URsHFf-4JeI/AAAAAAAAYu0/JQLzx5XeJng/s640/2013-01-31+16.17.13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;">He says: "I bought them for the 09/10 season direct from Pierre. I only raced in them, and trained in a pair of dna's. I have used them probably 10 or 15 times total and not at all for 2 seasons now. I'm not an aggressive downhill skier, so I never broke them, but I did manage to put a small tear in carbon on the outside of the right lower, near the sole. It has been repaired."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;">He is also selling:&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;">1st gen DNA carbon boots&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;">DNA carbon skis with Montura auto lock race bindings&nbsp;</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;">He didn't give me a price, but he's an eminently reasonable guy, except for the fact that he appears to be getting out of rando racing. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;">Contact him at: joeydempster@gmail.com</span><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;">Maybe he's just going to upgrade to this:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_IkbxOBSb9M/URsHpktdxDI/AAAAAAAAYu8/60c_dEdH7VI/s1600/400+morpho2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_IkbxOBSb9M/URsHpktdxDI/AAAAAAAAYu8/60c_dEdH7VI/s640/400+morpho2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-4788671719661696702013-02-10T20:03:00.003-07:002013-02-11T12:45:20.326-07:00Vail Winter Mountain Games Skimo RaceOn Saturday, I raced at the Vail Winter Mountain Games presented by Eddie Bauer, formerly known as the Teva Winter Mountain Games. &nbsp;Vail is an interesting venue and it's always fun visiting Colorado to race. <br /><br />The skimo race is part of the COSMIC series put on by Pete Swenson, held in conjunction the Mountain Games. &nbsp;The skimo race seemed to be a huge success. &nbsp;At early morning registration, I attempted to console a disheartened Pierre Wille as he had just driven from Aspen to learn that the race (capped at 200) had sold out and he couldn't race. &nbsp;(That was remedied, and he did, indeed race.) &nbsp;Let's just say that pre-registration is not something on the minds of most skimo racers.<br /><br />The course is somewhat unique in that it features a full tour of Vail, like 19-20 miles. &nbsp;This translates into a few punchy climbs, some challenging (one suicidal) descents, and lots and lots of low angle skinning. &nbsp;Compared to other courses, this one is long and flat. &nbsp;But, still fun.<br /><br />The race started out under relatively clear skies and relatively pleasant temperatures. &nbsp;But as we topped out on the first climb, a snowstorm rolled in, making the race cold and even more challenging. &nbsp;At one point in time, I had several icicles on my face. &nbsp;At the start line, I made the mistake of not taking a buff, goggles, or a jacket. &nbsp;So, when things got dire, my only option was to rev the engine as hot as I could and forge ahead. &nbsp;It was a cold race.<br /><br />In the end, Jan Koles took top honors, edging out Bryan Wickenhauser. &nbsp;Actually, Brian Smith won the whole race, but since he was in a separate contest (the Ultimate Mountain Challenge, skate+skimo+vertical race), we all got bumped up. &nbsp;These guys were followed by Mike Kloser (also UMC) Billy Laird, me, Ben Kadlec, Jon Brown, Mike Hagan, Chad Ambrose, Colin Cares, and so on.<br /><br />I was happy with 4th place. &nbsp;I had a slow start and moved from 15th place or so to end up where I did. &nbsp;Last year, I cramped and bonked spectacularly on the final climb, so I was quite satisfied when I had the condition to go fast on the final climb. &nbsp;Maybe a slower start is better? &nbsp;Or maybe, since this was my first race of the year, I had some fresh legs. &nbsp;Who knows? &nbsp;It was a pleasant surprise, especially since my water froze during the first half of the race. <br /><br />I was especially happy for Chad for being solidly in the Top 10 in his first ever skimo race in the "elite" field. &nbsp;While taking part in his post-mortem, I prodded him a bit about the fact that he stopped to put clothes on and to eat 2 Snickers. &nbsp;That was certainly the rational thing to do. &nbsp;In any event, he raced strong and will be a force to be reckoned with.<br /><br />For the record, Chad and I drove from Vail to his house in Sandy, Utah in 5 hrs and 35 minutes. &nbsp;That includes the time it took for Chad to get pulled over and receive a speeding ticket.<br /><br />Notably missing were several of the guys who are now in France racing. &nbsp;Although I'm sure I would have bumped down several spots, it would have been fun to have them in the mix.<br /><br />Some pics I found on Facebook:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTlnGZwLztw/URhVRrvqN_I/AAAAAAAAYto/T2YoIYLZWC4/s1600/223591_573676739310918_784299619_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTlnGZwLztw/URhVRrvqN_I/AAAAAAAAYto/T2YoIYLZWC4/s640/223591_573676739310918_784299619_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan Koles from Slovakia and presently of Colorado, winding up to crush everyone. &nbsp;He moved remarkably fast across the flats and he is an impressive downhill skier--apparently, a deadly combination.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FfkCOM1dEQM/URhVRkAq3rI/AAAAAAAAYts/i6SMDd-UMEU/s1600/404429_574090742602851_506812508_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FfkCOM1dEQM/URhVRkAq3rI/AAAAAAAAYts/i6SMDd-UMEU/s640/404429_574090742602851_506812508_n.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me trying to get some glide and a gap between Colin Cares and Jon Brown. <br />Since my boots are broken, Jason let me use his Aliens. &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MyDWZhWAJ_Q/URhVRlTfbqI/AAAAAAAAYtw/QsRg-9CShFI/s1600/163306_573676772644248_1833171995_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MyDWZhWAJ_Q/URhVRlTfbqI/AAAAAAAAYtw/QsRg-9CShFI/s640/163306_573676772644248_1833171995_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's nice, after the fact, to see what was happening at the front of the race. &nbsp;Ben is getting stronger and I think he's got a lot of potential. &nbsp;Ben Kadlec, &nbsp;Mike Kloser, Colin Cares, and Billy Laird. &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHz4Lqsdyq4/URhVR29puyI/AAAAAAAAYt0/fKqSED2gt6I/s1600/405678_574091665936092_402123694_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHz4Lqsdyq4/URhVR29puyI/AAAAAAAAYt0/fKqSED2gt6I/s640/405678_574091665936092_402123694_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CHAD AMBROSE, focused on some flat skinning and not the awesomeness to his left. &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFuqz0Ra8Qw/URhVSSglREI/AAAAAAAAYuI/3Hz4m78dAYg/s640/6539_574091749269417_1302036666_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="424" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Brown. &nbsp;I've raced with Jon for several years now, and he never ceases to amaze me. &nbsp;Obviously, he is gutting it out here. &nbsp;But here's the rest of the story. &nbsp;On his first descent, he broke both of his poles, one 20 inches below the handle, and the other 10 inches from the bottom. &nbsp;Did that stop him? &nbsp;No way. &nbsp;He kept gunning, pole-less, for 12 miles. &nbsp;Not only did he finish the race, he won some money too!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFuqz0Ra8Qw/URhVSSglREI/AAAAAAAAYuI/3Hz4m78dAYg/s1600/6539_574091749269417_1302036666_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFuqz0Ra8Qw/URhVSSglREI/AAAAAAAAYuI/3Hz4m78dAYg/s1600/6539_574091749269417_1302036666_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-49583789213801277612013-02-03T15:34:00.000-07:002013-02-03T15:35:23.607-07:00Alta to Millcreek, Rando StyleAs has become somewhat of a tradition on "Considerable" avy days, my brothers and friends and I skied from Alta to Millcreek. I'm not sure why I like this tour so much. Maybe it's the scenery. Maybe it's the company. The skiing is pretty good. Maybe it's because I feel like I've accomplished something by skiing the 15 or so miles from Alta to Millcreek. Whatever it is, it's fun!<br /><br />This year, at a "fun" pace, we did the tour in 3 hrs and 10 minutes. "Fun" pace includes pinning it up Cardiff and Reynolds behind Tom Goth, Chad, or Jason; hanging out on the top of peaks, joking around and eating; skiing 3 wonderful powder shots; and, of course, the full-on, rando/nordic races out of Cardiff and Millcreek. The runout races include a bit of roller-derby, skier-cross, drafting, downhill racing, V2, and a bit of trash talk. They are hard to describe, but I think we may have made an impression on a few startled scouts and dogs. Sorry, kind of. <br /><br />How many rando racers does it take to collapse the Wasatch snowpack right now? &nbsp;About 3 or 4.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qJL6WybrNI/UQ7esrC0lGI/AAAAAAAAYsU/bSUEOPlgIXI/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qJL6WybrNI/UQ7esrC0lGI/AAAAAAAAYsU/bSUEOPlgIXI/s640/IMG_0010.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardiff&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-281Q9EmLCQU/UQ7eto7N_wI/AAAAAAAAYsg/594M6rBqHEg/s1600/IMG_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-281Q9EmLCQU/UQ7eto7N_wI/AAAAAAAAYsg/594M6rBqHEg/s640/IMG_0015.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chad breaking trail with Tom, Jason, and the Inouyes in tow.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gHuR-HmQNt4/UQ7evPNCcoI/AAAAAAAAYs4/wTvmpuouXn8/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gHuR-HmQNt4/UQ7evPNCcoI/AAAAAAAAYs4/wTvmpuouXn8/s640/IMG_0012.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother Aaron, Brother Sam, and "Brother" Jason, "Mmm, can I have some of that? "</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nxs_FpCPLbE/UQ7ev1aeR8I/AAAAAAAAYtE/qYkxlTrbnD4/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nxs_FpCPLbE/UQ7ev1aeR8I/AAAAAAAAYtE/qYkxlTrbnD4/s640/IMG_0017.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crushers</td></tr></tbody></table>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-77609627477333797242013-02-01T09:20:00.001-07:002013-02-01T09:20:30.740-07:00Sportiva Heel Adjustment Plate Video Demo<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qy91mpoE29A?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-19388701379157809552013-01-25T21:36:00.001-07:002013-01-25T21:36:54.143-07:00Ethan (11) Ready to Rando<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0ZoTuTUkOc/UQNdZslOJFI/AAAAAAAAYqk/A39XeGUerf8/s1600/photo-714144.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M0ZoTuTUkOc/UQNdZslOJFI/AAAAAAAAYqk/A39XeGUerf8/s400/photo-714144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5837612238047683666" /></a></p>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-26997989964098567272013-01-08T09:02:00.002-07:002013-01-08T09:03:35.018-07:00Denali: An Adventure -- The MovieThis year, for New Years Eve, my family had a film festival. For this event, I put together some footage from my Denali trip earlier this year. The product was a family-centered movie about Denali. After all was said and done, it turned out to be 25 minutes. I've posted various clips on my blog, so some of it is a repeat. Hopefully, with my attempt to link it all together, it's better.<br /><br />&nbsp; <iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X_-z93VT-AA?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-79271275436558865622013-01-06T16:43:00.000-07:002013-01-06T16:43:43.811-07:00Wasatch Goodness (a few photos)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iuDSHYOerbk/UOoJkhRWl6I/AAAAAAAAYp8/G6ZWs3RjFzQ/s1600/8355907026_7b46948ffb_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iuDSHYOerbk/UOoJkhRWl6I/AAAAAAAAYp8/G6ZWs3RjFzQ/s640/8355907026_7b46948ffb_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four Inouye Brothers: &nbsp;Jared, Sam, Aaron, Jordan (taking picture) skiing on New Years Day.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P7zb4z7RZKc/UOoErYEEIsI/AAAAAAAAYpQ/OHuo68ARUpE/s1600/544055_531692483517260_2043751547_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P7zb4z7RZKc/UOoErYEEIsI/AAAAAAAAYpQ/OHuo68ARUpE/s640/544055_531692483517260_2043751547_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chad Ambrose and me climbing the Pfeif on 1/5/13. &nbsp;More from Chad <a href="http://ambroseut.blogspot.com/2013/01/pfiefferhorn-nw-couloir.html" target="_blank">here</a>. &nbsp;Photo by Bart Gillespie.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bsEM0rLzC2U/UOoErSA3NOI/AAAAAAAAYpM/7_d-2SFn62k/s1600/DSCF1722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bsEM0rLzC2U/UOoErSA3NOI/AAAAAAAAYpM/7_d-2SFn62k/s640/DSCF1722.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me looking into the NW Col of the Pfeif. &nbsp;I didn't drop in from there. &nbsp;Scary. &nbsp;Photo by Chad Ambrose.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hp_ST_RX7lg/UOoErMwZDbI/AAAAAAAAYpI/meU2i3oP2LI/s1600/406112_531692696850572_1525832490_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hp_ST_RX7lg/UOoErMwZDbI/AAAAAAAAYpI/meU2i3oP2LI/s640/406112_531692696850572_1525832490_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapping the NW Col of the Pfeif on 6mm cord and a Munter. &nbsp;Photo by Chad Ambrose.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ufPkdz1eFPo/UOoCcrt-RwI/AAAAAAAAYoc/-xfRjRBJ8KM/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ufPkdz1eFPo/UOoCcrt-RwI/AAAAAAAAYoc/-xfRjRBJ8KM/s640/photo+(5).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bart on the Obelisk with the Pfeif looking on. &nbsp;Photo with my iPhone.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NZFAeN5Vbas/UOoCc24DvOI/AAAAAAAAYog/sKbXD-6vvJ8/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NZFAeN5Vbas/UOoCc24DvOI/AAAAAAAAYog/sKbXD-6vvJ8/s640/photo+(4).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Japanese Guy (Shingo) and a French Guy (Alexi) on the Obelisk.</td></tr></tbody></table>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-72243087359403020012013-01-03T11:29:00.000-07:002013-01-03T11:49:23.809-07:00US Skimo National Championships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C1SpsT3eJL0/UOXAXKEbC4I/AAAAAAAAYn4/M8eVTot_RGY/s1600/Ski%252520Mtn%252520Champ0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C1SpsT3eJL0/UOXAXKEbC4I/AAAAAAAAYn4/M8eVTot_RGY/s640/Ski%252520Mtn%252520Champ0014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />This weekend, a bunch of ski athletes will gather in Jackson, Wyoming to race each other up and down the mountain. &nbsp;The winner will be crowned the 2013 National Champion. &nbsp;That title will be well-deserved because the field at Jackson is usually the deepest and the course is one of the most challenging. &nbsp;It involves climbing and skiing about 8,000 vertical, climbing up Corbetts Couloir on an aluminum ladder, and a couple leg searing long long descents.<br /><br />It's somewhat odd for the National Championships race to be the first race of the season, but this has evolved as somewhat of a necessity given the US Ski Mountaineering Association's procedure for selecting a team to represent the United States and the World Ski Mountaineering Championships (yes, this really does exist). <br /><br />This year, the World Ski Mountaineering Championships will be held in the French Alps. &nbsp;There, athletes from around the world, mostly Europe, will compete for the World Title. &nbsp;There is a push to make ski mountaineering an Olympic sport. &nbsp;With the growth in backcountry skiing, an increasing interest in mountain running and fitness in general, I think there is a chance.<br /><br />From the Wasatch, there are three guys that have a good chance at making the US Team--the Dorais brothers and Tom Goth. &nbsp;World, watch out! These guys have been training hard. &nbsp;Andy has upped the training ante and has logged at least 30,000 vertical every week for the the last two months. &nbsp;Jason and Tom have done similarly, maybe more. &nbsp;In addition to their tough training regimen, every night (or morning as the case may be) before they sleep, they watch videos of Kilian for inspiration and just because they worship him (don't we all?). &nbsp;Good luck guys. &nbsp;(After a tough work schedule throughout the fall, I tried to jump in and train with these guys and promptly injured myself, so I 'm out of the mix this year.)<br /><div><br /></div>Perhaps more significantly, this year the Wasatch will be sending a large contingent of racers to Nationals, including, Layne Caldwell,Tom Diegel, Tim White, Ian Housman, Mike Hales, Allison Stuart, Ryan Lauck, Michael Finger, Chris White, Courtney Phillips, Chad Brackelsberg, and Noah Howell. &nbsp;The Wasatch will be well-represented at Jackson. &nbsp;Go fast, carry an extra skin or five!<br /><br />Back to Nationals. &nbsp;Having perused the list of entrants for the National Championship race, here are the guys that will likely be at the front, dishing out some pain. &nbsp;The top 3 at Jackson will automatically qualify for the US Team.<br /><br />Cary Smith <br />Tom Diegel<br />Max Taam<br />Jason Dorais<br />Jon Brown<br />Marshall Thomson<br />Jon Gaston<br />Scott Simmons<br />Andy Dorais<br />Michael Hagen<br />Bryan Wickenhauser<br />Greg Ruckman<br />Luke Nelson<br />Tom Goth<br />Teague Holmes<br />Nate Brown<br /><br />This is how I picture the racing going down. &nbsp;There will be a drag race, as usual, at the start. &nbsp;Ruckman will probably put the hammer down. &nbsp;He goes up incredibly fast. &nbsp;Unless he's been practicing, you can probably count on him not going down all that fast. &nbsp;Gaston, Marshall, Simmons, Luke, and Jason have the engines to keep him in check, and they will. &nbsp;I wouldn't be surprised if an elite peloton forms after the first climb when the charger gets caught midway up the first climb when it flattens out, or when the charger realizes he's just wasting energy. &nbsp;&nbsp;Behind, the elite peloton, there will be a line of also-fast guys fighting and scrapping. &nbsp;I wouldn't be surprised if Cary, Jon Brown, Wick, Goth, Max, and Andy maintain striking distance for the first half of the race. <br /><br />There will be a race to get the hole shot up Corbetts. &nbsp;Luke will be salivating at the booter and will probably unleash there. &nbsp;If I'm Jason or Marshall, I would hook a short rope on him, or maybe trip him as he surges by. &nbsp;Once you get on the ladder, you're on the ladder.<br /><br />Among the elite racers, there will be some disappointment and mourning when someone breaks their gear, usually a pole or a boot. &nbsp;I'm usually there to make sure that gear gets broken, but since I won't be, it's bound to happen to someone. &nbsp;Don't worry, you can still finish a race with broken stuff. <br /><br />Luke and Jason will need to put some distance on guys like Marshall, Wick, Simmons, and Max before the loooooong descent that comes towards the end of the race. &nbsp;I know the latter four have some DH skillz. &nbsp;What will be exciting about this race is that I think that it will be tight to the finish. &nbsp;Every second will count. &nbsp;This is great because it means the US field is becoming more competitive, and above all, faster. &nbsp;So, if you blow a skin, you will probably lose a place. &nbsp;If you crash on the DH, you will probably lose a place. &nbsp;If you flub up a transition, you will probably lose a place. &nbsp;If your gel or water freezes, you will probably lose a place.<br /><br />TIP: &nbsp;take a wall-to-wall pair of skins for use on the final climb. &nbsp;I'm usually too weight-stingy to do this, but I pay for it and wish for a wall-to-wall pair every year on the final climb.<br /><br />If you're running about 4th to 10th place, don't be surprised if Hagen comes steaming up behind you in the final straight. &nbsp;That guy gets stronger as the race gets longer. <br /><br />Wouldn't it be cool if it comes down to a final drag race up the final, bushy, technical, steep, slippery, hellish climb? &nbsp;If Luke, Jason, and Marshall are still together with Wick, Simmons and Gaston breathing down their necks? &nbsp;I'm half-inclined just to go watch. &nbsp;How would you even attempt to pass? &nbsp;If you're ahead and someone yells, "Track!" what would you do? &nbsp;I'd turn around, smile, and say, "no." &nbsp;And then wipe the slobber off my face and hope not to get whacked with a pole. &nbsp;If I were the guy yelling "Track!" I'd be half tempted to cut a switchback or even blaze my own path. &nbsp;But in doing that I would probably get stuck or lose time or get passed by the guy behind. &nbsp;What a conundrum. &nbsp;In the end, the safest play would be to hang together and then open up on the DH. &nbsp;Can you imagine the sheer glee you would feel if, all of the sudden, the guy in front of you blows a skin, or throws up? &nbsp;Or the obliterating feeling of doom you would feel if you were in front and your skin fell off? &nbsp;Yeah, I'd save my fresh pair of skins for that final climb.<br /><br />It's going to be a good race.<br /><br />On the women's side, Sari isn't racing. &nbsp;Janelle is the shoe in. &nbsp;Kim and&nbsp;Meredith, looks like you have a chance to go to France!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-77205746915874397222012-12-09T22:27:00.002-07:002012-12-09T22:27:27.574-07:00Hiro on his Bike, Age 3I put some footage together of my little guy riding his bike.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/552Qos1P7g8?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845005882900867258.post-53078943198255798352012-12-08T22:42:00.000-07:002012-12-08T22:42:17.914-07:00Serenity Now!Life has gotten busy. &nbsp;It's not unusual for me to think that I no longer have time to continue my antics in the mountains. &nbsp;But this thought is always rebuffed by the fear of what my life would be <i>without</i>&nbsp;my antics in the mountains. &nbsp;So, I will need to figure out a way to cope with the chaotic lifestyle of a working man who wants to travel efficiently through the mountains, and be a good dad and husband.<br /><br />You should see the inside of my Subaru. &nbsp;I change clothes in my Subaru more than I do in my own house. &nbsp;In my Subaru, one will find soap, shampoo, a hair dryer, contact solution, a towel or two, clothing for when it's hot, clothing for when it's wet, clothing for looking professional, ski boots, skis, ski poles, road running shoes, trail running shoes, Gu gel, Gu drink powder, sunglasses, goggles, backpacks, visors, hats, a headlamp or two, helmet, avalanche beacon, shovel, probe, heart monitor straps for Suunto and Garmin, and sometimes a baby safety seat. &nbsp;And these are just the staple items. &nbsp;On top of the staple items are all the weird stray items, some of which get cleaned up, but some of which just stray. &nbsp;Stray items include, a titanium piton (yeah Harder, it's yours), ski leashes, cable TV bill from April 2012, a half-eaten Gogurt, shoelaces, Ritz crackers that fell out of the package and got stomped on in the back seat, canister of stove fuel, 8-10 water bottles of various type and size, my in-the-car glove hanging dryer, a power inverter, iPhone charger, Blackberry charger, weird USB charger/cord thingy, and charged and uncharged batteries. &nbsp;And the tangible is more than what is visible. &nbsp;Earlier this week, I dug into some smoked salmon while I was driving down Big Cottonwood Canyon. &nbsp;Apparently, not all of it made it into my mouth because the interior of my Subaru smells like rotting fish. &nbsp;Of course, because of the crumbs and splotches on my center console, instrument console, and dashboard, I wouldn't be able to tell what is rotting fish or what is the Coke/sandwich/gummy bear of yester-year. <br /><br />If my Subaru is an emblem of my life, I am in trouble. &nbsp;It is the antithesis of serenity. <br /><br />Last week I worked about 125 hours and didn't even set foot in a ski boot, a running shoe, or the mountains. &nbsp;This week I skied a solid 15 hours (maybe more) and climbed over 30,000 vertical feet. &nbsp;Yesterday, I watched my four-year old scrunch into a tuck, attempt to ski through bushes like his dad, older brother and sister, eject and bury himself in a snowbank. &nbsp;He cried because his hands and face were freezing. &nbsp;I took him to the car, which I started and left running while I went to round up older sister and brother. &nbsp;I found sister crying in the snow because the rope tow rope had smacked her in the face and gave her a nice rope burn on and under her nose.<br /><br />This morning, I met Chad and Eric at the Big Cottonwood mouth at 6:30 sharp. &nbsp;I drank a Coke, but was dozing a little bit as I pulled into the Brighton parking lot. &nbsp;In 2 hrs and 30 minutes, in a full-on blizzard, and with some good company and conversation, I banged out 5,000 vertical feet. &nbsp;Then I rushed home to be at my kids' Christmas cello concert at the university by 11:00.<br /><br />Sometimes I wonder if serenity is found in chaos. &nbsp;Because sometimes chaos is strangely satisfying.<br /><br /><br />Jaredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03034115882272086104noreply@blogger.com2